1
as in smug
having too high an opinion of oneself
a man so vain that he spent hours admiring himself in the mirror
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in futile
producing no results
all their efforts to escape proved vain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in worthless
having no usefulness
having tired of the vain pleasures of life in the fast lane, he returned to the small town he had grown up in
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vain
Some waved flags, some rode on shoulders and, over the noise, dozens tried in vain to call back home where the sun was just rising.
—
Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 8 July 2025
Since then, other Dohn administrators have tried in vain to clean up the 24-year-old school's financial mess and support its 1,600 students.
—Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 3 July 2025
As the boy struggled to navigate an unforgiving system, his dad tried in vain to intervene.
—The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for vain
Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 8 July 2025
Since then, other Dohn administrators have tried in vain to clean up the 24-year-old school's financial mess and support its 1,600 students.
—Madeline Mitchell, The Enquirer, 3 July 2025
As the boy struggled to navigate an unforgiving system, his dad tried in vain to intervene.
—The Tennessean, 2 July 2025
Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain.
—Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for vain
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vain
Adjective
-
And no scripture condones the smug enjoyment of it.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
30 July 2025
-
For those still on Windows 10 who might be feeling rather smug at avoiding these Windows 11 issues, Windows Latest has just issued a new warning, given that its own recent updates are not faring any better.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
Adjective
-
Go with the flow, but not toward the beach: Trying to swim directly toward the beach when caught in a rip current is futile and exhausting.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 July 2025
-
This group saw military responses as futile, as Iran was assumed to have escalation dominance.—
JAMES JEFFREY,
Foreign Affairs,
4 July 2025
Adjective
-
Demand Enterprise-Grade Safeguards Speed is worthless without security.—
Marcin Nowak,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
Mamdani’s virality would have been worthless—or, perhaps, impossible—without his laser focus on the high cost of living in New York.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Pursuing a relationship in order to feel proud of oneself, more competent or even validated.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
-
But that policy can also backfire – in part because many regions, such as Marathi-speaking Maharashtra in the west – are staunchly proud of their local language.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
26 July 2025
Adjective
-
Although a request for proposals for a new company to run the facility drew interest from at least two companies, neither ended up completing the process to submit a proposal and efforts to reach out to other companies have so far been unsuccessful, Hyde said.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 July 2025
-
Roughly 45 seconds later, Van der Walt tried to add hot air to the envelope and close the rapid deflation valve but was unsuccessful, according to the report.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Add the liquid to the reservoir and fill it with water. Step 3: Start descaling Start a standard brew cycle, dump out the solution and continue filling the mug until the tank is empty.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
31 July 2025
-
Pre-ride preparation is key—ensuring all devices are charged, storage cards are empty, and connections are made before kickstands go up.—
Shelby Knick,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
In addition to Sandler, the 2025 film also sees the return of several familiar faces, including Julie Bowen as Happy’s love interest, Virginia Venit; Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin, Happy’s arrogant nemesis; and Ben Stiller as Hal L., the orderly from Happy’s grandmother’s nursing home.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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Christopher McDonald plays Happy’s comically villainous, arrogant rival Shooter McGavin, maestro of the finger guns.—
Skyler Trepel,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
Followers are useless, but engaged customers and a devoted tribe of community members are priceless.—
Solo Ceesay,
Rolling Stone,
28 July 2025
-
Fertilizing before heavy rain is useless at best and harmful at worst.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vain.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vain. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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